What is abuse?

Whilst most children grow and develop in loving, nurturing environments, it is a sad fact that a significant minority suffer harm either intentionally or inadvertently through the actions or omissions of their parents, carers or others.

Most child abuse occurs within a child’s own family by persons known to the child. However, children may be abused in institutional or community settings by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger.

A child is considered to be abused if he or she is treated in a way that is unacceptable in a given culture at a given time. The threshold beyond which actions or omissions become abusive or neglectful is, to a certain extent, socially and culturally defined. For example, physical punishment of children has become progressively less acceptable in the UK in recent years.​​

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Child protection and the dental team: an introduction to safeguarding children in dental practice.
Initial development funded by the Department of Health (England). Published by COPDEND, 2006-15.
Hosted by the British Dental Association from 2016.
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